You know, I was a regular on the Friday afternoon drill squad. Um, which... The year after I left school, I went back and thanked the sergeant major because I was so fit.

I wouldn't, a little bit frightened but throughout my life I'd learnt that when you're in the serious situations, you've got to try to stay calm. Because that's the way you get out of them.

People think this is all about the top players hitting tenins balls and they talk about technique and strategy and how important that is. But they don't understand the essence of competition. This is one-on-one, two players out there fighting each other with everything they have, trying to bring the best out of themselves. And the difference at this level of the game is all in the head and in the heart.

I'd also made the first tennis team. I was number two player in the school at 11 years of age and that didn't sit very well with people.

At Wimbledon, the ladies are simply the candles on the cake.

I chose to stay with tennis and they didn't understand that at the school.

I had started my love affair with Wimbledon.